Not only is The Online Network continuing All My Children and One Life to Live online after their broadcast cancellation, it also is bringing a major partner of the soap operas along. TOLN announced a partnership with Universal Music Group to license music exclusively from the music company’s record and publishing businesses for cross-promotions and integration into the new episodes.
TOLN’s owners Prospect Park’s Jeff Kwatinetz and Rich Frank, and UMG’s president chief operating officer, Zach Horowitz, said the relationship was mutually beneficial since in addition to the promotional value, the programs got excellent music, the musicians got great exposure.
The partnership follows a previous deal between Kwatinetz and UMG that resulted in One Life to Live featuring artists including One Republic, Mary J. Blige, Puddle of Mudd and Snoop Dogg (pictured, with the show’s star Susan Lucci) in various episodes.
This new agreement will incorporate ecommerce, enabling viewers to purchase the music used in episodes of the soaps and to access other exclusive content only available online.
TOLN is scheduled to go live in January 2012. All My Children and One Life to Live are included in the network’s slate of episodic programming through a multi-year, multi-platform licensing agreement between Prospect Park with Disney/ABC Domestic Television Group.
Kwatinetz and Frank said in a joint statement: “As we continue to develop programming for our online network, we are taking every facet of production into consideration to create a premium product for our viewers. Previously these programs have not focused on, or had limited contemporary music and artist involvement, and through UMG we can deliver fans from around the world access to some of the world’s most popular music and artists all leading to better production, storylines and program experience.”
Related links:
http://www.theonlinenetwork.com
Photo of Susan Lucci and Snoop Dogg courtesy of Susan Lucci.
